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SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Oct. 4) – The U.S. Department of Education has approved a US$9.7 million consolidated grant for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Public School System in fiscal year 2006.

Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos said the grant would be allocated to public and private schools.

She said US$3 million will go directly to the 20 public schools under the innovative assistance grant program and each school will decide how they will use the fund to buy instructional materials and equipment that directly benefit the students.

Allocations provided to elementary schools total $1.5 million, while those for secondary schools amount to $1.4 million.

Inos said US$3.1 million is reserved for the salaries and benefits of 66 classroom teachers who are paid out of this grant.

She said the Public School System (PSS) would rather have the local budget fund the salaries of these teachers, but...

HONOLULU (Pacific Islands Report, Oct. 4) – The Embassy of the United States of America announced today that the registration for the 2007 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery would begin at noon on October 5, 2005.

The annual DV program is administered by the Department of State and makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas to persons meeting the simple, but strict eligibility requirements. The Congressionally mandated program draws at random from among all entries from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

Persons seeking to enter the lottery program must register online through the designated Internet website during the registration period. The website for registering for the 2007 DV Lottery, www.dvlottery.state.gov, will be available from noon October 5, 2005 through noon December 4, 2005.

The 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery marks the third year that electronic registration is...

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (Samoa News, Oct. 3) - Five local industries, including the government, had their minimum wage rates increased in American Samoa today.

For the government, including semi-autonomous agencies, the former minimum wage rate of US$2.77 per hour increased to US$2.84 per hour today and will go up to US$2.91 on Oct. 1, 2006.

The Hotel industry, which covers all activities in connection with the operation of hotels - whether privately or government owned in whole or in part - increases from US$2.86 per hour to US$2.93 effective today. The rate is to increase to US$3, effective Oct. 1, 2006.

The increases were based on recommendations by the federal Special Industry Committee No. 26, who held wage hearings in June. The Special Industry committee recommended that the American Samoa government, Ship Maintenance, Hotel, Tour and Travel, and the "miscellaneous activities" industries all implement 5 percent minimum wage...

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Oct. 4) – Having to undergo screening twice by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is not a pleasant experience for tourists transiting through Guam’s international airport.

Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) board members cited this as a reason why tourists, particularly those coming from Japan, have been discouraged from flying to Saipan via Guam.

"Transiting tourists are mixed with other passengers. So in most cases, they have to be screened twice," said MVA Chairman David M. Sablan Sr. "Tourists are being subjected to the inefficiency of the system."

MVA board members related their own experiences of having to pass through Guam to go to Hawaii or Seattle, for instance.

"After having been cleared (by TSA) on Saipan, I also had to undergo screening on Guam," said board member JM Guerrero. "I never had my belly being shaken so much."

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Oct. 3) – The concept of "Integrated Resort Development" is soon to be introduced in Fiji to allow several investors to share resources to build large tourism facilities in an area for their collective benefit.

It is hoped by the Tourism Ministry that the lower costs that would be incurred by each investor in such a group would attract more investors into the hotel industry.

According to the Ministry of Tourism's most recent Tri-Annual Bulletin, the concept represents what is most current in the global efforts by suppliers of tourism and travel products and services.

"It is the result of a continuous effort to best understand customers needs, plan and manage products and services developments so that maximum benefits to the customers are obtained," the bulletin said. "It allows for large tourism facilities and infrastructure in a special area. Different owners share costs and are able...

KOROR, Palau (Palau Horizon, Oct. 4) – President of the Republic of Palau, Tommy Remengesau, Jr., has received the credentials of the new envoys from Thailand and Italy.

Amabassador Asha Dvitiyananda of Thailand and Ambassador Rubens Anna Fedele of Italy presented their credentials in Palau during separate ceremonies.

The president said this summer, approximately 150 Italians visited the country and it is expected that the arrivals from Italy will increase.

"The travel time between our countries may still be long, but the marvels of technology are bringing all parts of the world together faster each year. We must take advantage of all available technology to meaningfully and aggressively promote our nations’ mutual interests," Remengesau said.

The president vowed to provide Fedele with all the support and assistance from Palau to further strengthen and deepen the two countries’ relationship.

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, Oct. 4) – Members of the Guam National Guard were part of a U.S. contingent that trained in guerrilla warfare and counter-terrorism techniques in the dense jungles of Mizoram, India.

The Guam National Guard members, based at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, participated with members of the U.S. 25th infantry division training in the Indian Army’s Counter-Insurgency Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte, Mizoram.

[PIR editor’s note: Mizoram is located in the northeast part of India – it is just south of Bangladesh and west of Myanmar.]

The school is reputedly one of the premier institutions imparting training in jungle warfare techniques and several countries have sought access to the school to train their soldiers.

The Guam Guard members trained in standard drills like jungle survival and execution of various counter-insurgency operations.

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (Samoa News, Sept. 30) - Military flights will stop over in Pago Pago again enroute to and from New Zealand, according to Major General Robert Lee, the Hawai'i Adjutant General.

Maj. Gen. Lee informed Gov. Togiola Tulafono during a meeting in Honolulu this week that the Hawai'i National Guard will start flights of their C-17 aircraft soon, with stopovers in American Samoa on their way to New Zealand and back.

"This is great news for our soldiers and their families, as well as our retirees, for the availability of space available seats (on military flights) to help with the high cost of transportation" between Pago Pago and Honolulu, said the Governor via e-mail. "It will continue this great supplement to their retirement pay."

"I am very grateful to General Robert Lee for his continuing support of our military families," he added.

The Governor told reporters during an August news conference that his...

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (Samoa News, Oct. 3) – American Samoa Congressman Faleomavaega Eni and his colleagues on the House International Relations Committee met with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley last Thursday in a meeting where only the Chairs and Ranking Members of the International Relations Committee were invited.

Hadley is the top advisor to the President for National Security Affairs, including the war in Iraq.

"This is the first time in five years that the National Security Advisor has made an appearance before Members of the International Relations Committee, and I commend President Bush for his outreach," Faleomavaega said in a statement.

Faleomavaega said that Hadley briefed them about the war in Iraq and other security matters facing our nation.

In turn, Faleomavaega said he "drew Mr. Hadley's attention to the fact that as a percentage of the islands' population, American Samoa has the highest casualty...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Oct. 3) – The Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby, and most major urban centres nationwide could be hit by power blackouts this week, angry union officials say.

The Government’s confirmation of Australian Patrick Mara as the new PNG Power chief executive officer has angered the PNG Energy Workers Association (PNGEWA).

The union’s secretary-general, Philip Kaira, told the Post-Courier on Friday: "All business houses must get back-up generators; its cheaper to get back-up generators than rely on PNG Power. I rang the Department of Labour and Employment (DLE) Secretary this morning (Friday), (and told him) ‘the buck stops with you, if you release the work permit, all hell breaks loose’."

PNG Power acting chief executive officer Lawrence Solomon has indicated he would not hesitate to get a court order to stop workers from pulling the plug on electricity services.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.